Daijiworld Media Network

Ranchi, May 12: It is the clash of the table-toppers as Rajasthan take on Chennai. Rajasthan have been undefeated at home so far and they will look to round it off with a win over the dominant Chennai team. Chennai will look to seal their spot in the knock-outs by winning today. There was some showers in the afternoon but now it has cleared up.

Rajasthan have won the toss and elected to field.

Dhoni: 'We had a cluster of games in the middle and this rest was good. The guys have shown dedication and we have worked hard on our skills. It looks like a good, green wicket and there will be some swing on offer. We are not disappointed in batting first. We have to see off the new ball. We are unchanged'

Dravid: 'We have played some good cricket this season and we are in a good position. We need to maximize our talent. We have found new players and we are looking forward to the rest of the tournament. We have created a good environment in the team and that is why the talent has flourished. Chennai are the most consistent side in this tournament and we hope to compete against them. I am not looking at the table and we are focused on winning today. We will bowl first. We like to chase and we construct our batting according to the target. Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila miss out. Vikramjeet Malik makes his Indian T20 debut while Stuart Binny is back.'

Teams:

Rajasthan (Playing XI): Rahul Dravid(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Shane Watson, Stuart Binny, Sanju Samson, Brad Hodge, Dishant Yagnik(w), Vikramjeet Malik, Kevon Cooper, James Faulkner, Siddharth Trivedi

Chennai (Playing XI): Murali Vijay, Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, S Badrinath, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Chris Morris, Jason Holder, Mohit Mahipal Sharma

Match Preview:

Playing their last match on home soil, Rajasthan would look to consolidate their position in the points table and upstage top-placed Chennai when the two most balanced sides clash at the Sawai Mansingh stadium in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan

Team News: Rajasthan are sitting pretty in the point table with 9 wins from 13 matches. Rahul Dravid has been inspirational in his leadership and has led his boys from the front. The hosts would hope to put one across the table-toppers after the heart-breaking loss they suffered on the penultimate ball of the match against Chennai.

Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Dravid and Shane Watson have been the mainstay of Rajasthan's batting. The Australian has given the innings the impetus at the start while the other two have looked to bat throughout and anchor the innings. Sanju Samson, the talented youngster has been a revelation and has come up with impressive knocks under pressure.

James Faulkner has led the pace attack with aplomb. He has been well supported by Kevon Cooper. Shane Watson and the off-spinner, Ajit Chandila have also provided the important breakthroughs and kept the batsmen in check.

In form player: Ajinkya Rahane has been very impressive and shown glimpses of his class over the past few matches. He has batted with responsibility and changed gear as and when the situation has demanded.

Hit: Sanju Samson has been quietly but surely making a name for himself through his batting exploits for Rajasthan. He has come up with little cameos at crucial moments in the match. Apart from having the gift of timing he has displayed a cool temperament and a sense for the occasion.

Miss: S Sreesanth has been quite disappointing and has not made much of an impact for Rajasthan yet. He has just picked up 5 wickets from 7 matches and has gone for a few runs as well.

Team form: Last Encounter: Beat Punjab by 8 wickets.

Chennai:

Team News: Chennai are on the brink of qualifying for the playoffs and unless luck on the field and otherwise runs out for them, they have made sure they have done enough to move into the business end of the tournament. The confidence is sky-high and the spirit and the morale upbeat.

The top order has been in scintillating form for the visitors. Michael Hussey is currently the holder of the Orange Cap for the most runs in the League. Suresh Raina has come into his own and MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja have provided the cameos at crucial moments at the death.

Dwayne Bravo, with 21 wickets, holds the Purple Cap for the leading wicket taker in the League thus far. He has been well supported by the likes of Mohit Sharma and Chris Morris. R Ashwin and Jadeja have also done a good job in containing the batsmen and picking up wickets at crucial junctures.

In form player: Michael Hussey has been in tremendous form in the tournament. He has hit 574 runs at an average of 57.40 from 12 matches.

Hit: Suresh Raina has been in Red-Hot form for Chennai. His ability to clear the boundary at will makes him one of the most dangerous batsmen in the format. He has also shown a keen eagerness to bat for longer periods and control the innings.

Miss: Murali Vijay hasn't exactly set the house on fire and has been struggling up the order. He has just aggregated 153 from 10 matches. His strike rate has also been poor.

Team form: Last Encounter: Beat Hyderabad by 77 runs.

Head to Head: Chennai:8, Rajasthan:4

CB Pick: It promises to be an intriguing match up between two very accomplished sides. Chennai are definitely stronger on paper but Rajasthan are yet to lose a match at home. They key to the home team's success would be how Dravid and his bowlers keep a check on the Chennai batsmen. It is difficult to pick a winner for this one, but a motivated Rajasthan side might just surprise the men in yellow.